A new report covering foster care trends among older children in the U.S. shows some improvements but critical achievement gaps remain.

The Baltimore-based Annie E Casey Foundation's report 'Fostering Youth Transitions 2023 showed over the last 15 years, the number of teenagers in foster care has fallen by about half, and fewer young people are placed in institutional settings such as group homes.

Educational attainment was also highlighted with the report, showing 79% of youth in the foster care system earned a high school diploma or GED by the time they aged out of the system at 21, compared to 92% of their peers in the general population.

Many states offer extended foster care for youths between 18 and 21, and the report found better educational outcomes among those who use extended foster care.

Todd Lloyd, senior policy associate for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, said advocates are encouraging states to promote the practice.

"So we really encourage states to consider ways that they can encourage young people to remain in foster care after the age of 18 if they don't have a permanent family," Lloyd explained. "But we've seen nationally that the utilization of extended foster care after the age of 18 is actually very low."

The report data from 2021 showed only 22% of those in foster care on their 18th birthday remained in foster care on their 19th birthday. In Maryland, the number was far higher, with 52% still in foster care at age 19.

Despite the reduction in the overall number of teens in foster care in the U.S., the report found agencies were not better able to deliver services to help with the transition to adulthood to the smaller population. Transition services include educational financial assistance, vocational training, K-12 academic support, as well as mentoring and life skills training.

Lloyd added the report found few teens are receiving the federally funded services for which they are eligible.

"Even though there are fewer young people in foster care, less than half of young people who are eligible will ever receive services to support their transition to adulthood," Lloyd pointed out. "In a given year, less than a quarter who are eligible actually receive any services."

While Maryland saw above average numbers of teens in foster care receiving educational financial assistance and room and board support, critical areas such as vocational training, life skills, mentoring and K-12 academic support all saw percentages participating in the single digits.

The report found the reasons teens enter the foster care system are also changing. In 2006 "behavior problems" were cited in 49% of cases, while in 2021 it was down to 30%. "Neglect" is now the most common reason for placing children in the foster care system, cited in 48% of cases in 2021.

Lloyd contended it suggests with a greater application of state support, more families might be able to stay together.

"The issues of neglect are often related to economic security," Lloyd observed. "The hope is that child welfare agencies can work with families to help them remediate those issues of economic challenge and provide the kind of concrete supports that they need to address those concerns."

A new report focuses on "girl power" in Indiana - with an analysis of how young girls are faring in the state, and recommendations for improving their lives.

Using Kids Count data, the Girl Coalition of Indiana found girls under 18 are experiencing trauma and mental-health concerns at rates higher than boys - from bullying and depression, to dating violence and a lack of emotional support.

In one survey, eight in 10 girls said neighbors "don't notice" or encourage them when they do a good job. Mackenzie Pickerrell, executive director of the coalition, described the purpose of sharing these findings.

"Being deeply embedded into communities to understand from their perspective," said Pickerrell, "what girls need to thrive, and what are the barriers for their girls to live their best lives."

The coalition plans to create programming in partnership with the six Indiana Girl Scout councils to make headway on some of the areas of concern.

This first-ever "Indiana Girl Report" was compiled in collaboration with the Indiana Youth Institute. It's available online at 'girlcoalitionindiana.org.'

Other findings in the report: In 2022, Indiana's middle and high school girls reported feeling a sense of hopelessness or depression for two weeks or longer. One in four "seriously considered" suicide.

Girls are twice as likely to be victims of traditional bullying, and three times as likely to face cyberbullying, compared to boys. Pickerrell noted what could be one reason behind these statistics.

"Girls experience mental and emotional pressures at a much higher rate," said Pickerrell, "and a very different reality than boys do."

She added that the report produced some positive data as well. Girls in Indiana are achieving academically at a stronger pace than boys, including higher high school graduation rates.

They're more likely to obtain advanced degrees. And nine out of ten girls say they have at least one caring adult or mentor in their lives, other than their parents.




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A recent ruling from the Washington state Supreme Court lowers the barriers for bringing some childhood sexual abuse cases to court.

Justices unanimously ruled that the three-year statute of limitation for these cases applies from the date of discovery of each element of the case. Seattle-based attorney Nate Roberts of the Connelly Law Offices said that, for instance, if someone in their mid-twenties suffers psychologically because of childhood abuse, they have three years to file a claim against their alleged abuser. He added that there are more situations where the Wolf decision applies.

"If they find out in their thirties, for example, that they were a ward of the state at the time of the abuse and the state knew they were being abused and didn't intervene," he said, "then they would have three years from the date they acquire that knowledge in which to file a lawsuit against the state."

Roberts said this makes more sense than applying the three-year statute of limitation to the date of the abuse.

Washington state lawmakers are considering eliminating the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse cases completely. Roberts said other states have already done this.

"The insidious thing about sexual abuse and physical abuse of children is that the kids don't necessarily understand the scope or degree of harm sometimes ever, but often until much later in life," he said, "and I think a simpler, more equitable rule would be to say that if you're the victim of childhood abuse, you can bring the lawsuit whenever you're ready to do so."

House Bill 1618 was introduced in the Legislature this year and passed in the House but died in the Senate. It will be up for consideration again in 2024.

The Keystone State has some work to do to provide more access to quality pre-Kindergarten programs for the youngest Pennsylvanians.

Only 43% of eligible 3- and-4-year-olds are in high-quality, publicly funded pre-K, leaving more than 87,000 without access, according to the new "State of Early Care and Education in Pennsylvania" report.

Maggie Livelsberger, policy director for Pennsylvania Partnerships For Children, said young children need access to programs preparing them to start Kindergarten. But she points out that inadequate funding for child care has led to issues of supply and demand, affecting a family's ability to find care they can afford.

"It also impacts child care providers, and their ability to be compensated fairly, to pay their teachers and maintain their business expenses," Livelsberger outlined. "We are living in a world where there is a very historic workforce shortage within the child care system, and a lot of that is due to unlivable wages."

Livelsberger added in the Keystone State, child care center workers earn on average less than $12.50 an hour, or less than $26,000 a year. The report recommended the state increase funding for the child care sector, and develop a pay system to put pre-K teachers on par with K-12 teachers with similar education levels.

Livelsberger acknowledged child care providers have benefited from supplemental stimulus funding the state received, and there is some new money in the state budget for child care. But she insists more is needed.

"Child care has historically been underfunded," Livelsberger emphasized. "Even though there are new funds for child care in this budget, it's not nearly enough to be able to combat this workforce shortage that the sector is facing. And that's really closing classrooms and not allowing families to access that care."

The report recommends the state's Office of Child Development and Early Learning produce a report every three years to give what it calls a "clear picture" of the early-childhood workforce and recommend ways to expand and improve it.